tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post56877256626669096..comments2024-03-28T02:21:17.452-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Tentative AgreementMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-61298360772687684262010-09-02T21:24:00.226-07:002010-09-02T21:24:00.226-07:00Mel,
A Level 1 school is one that has not met aca...Mel,<br /><br />A Level 1 school is one that has not met academic progress for several years. The one metric I know of is AYP. There may be metrics I'm not aware of. According to statements by Glen Bafia at the BA meeting Wed night, there are 17 such schools, of which, my school, Van Asselt, is one.<br />ken berryAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-13015648107099797122010-09-02T15:07:20.352-07:002010-09-02T15:07:20.352-07:00Central Mom, thanks for the good posts. I think I...Central Mom, thanks for the good posts. I think I'll make the Daily Kos one its own thread. It's interesting reading.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-53237973815321016422010-09-02T14:29:36.377-07:002010-09-02T14:29:36.377-07:00The story of Seattle's contract negotiations h...The story of Seattle's contract negotiations has now gone national via a teacher's account of the process on The Daily Kos. The story has garnered hundreds of comments from a variety of viewpoints.<br /><br />As would be expected<a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/9/2/898327/-Seattle-Teachers-Union-Rolls-Back-Education-Reform-Tide" rel="nofollow">the entry skewers MGJ's tactics as well as her overall ideology.</a> <br /><br />That's a whole lot of negative, national exposure about our District leadership (and, in the comment section, the Board that extended her contract.)Central Momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05411595538958030193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-82921336190450001362010-09-02T14:26:55.917-07:002010-09-02T14:26:55.917-07:00Seattle- here's the classroom limits from the ...Seattle- here's the classroom limits from the current contract (p.81), posted on the SEA website:<br /> <br />Article IX, Section D<br />2. However, the SPS will maintain the following SPS-wide averages and building ranges:<br />a. Maintain an average SPS ratio of students to full-time equivalent teachers at no more<br />than 26:1 for grades K-3, 28:1 for grades 4-5, and 150:1 for grades 6-12 (when grade 6<br />is conducted using a secondary model), exclusive of Special Education and Bilingual.<br />b. Elementary Class Size Building Ranges: The SPS will take actions to limit class size to a<br />building range of 28 or less for grades K-3 and of 32 or less for grades 4-5; the same<br />building ranges shall apply to self-contained programs except Special Education and<br />Bilingual. In the event that the maximum number in either range is exceeded in a<br />building, the SPS shall provide relief in the form of additional certificated non-supervisory<br />staff.SPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12726295210572942506noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-68453070715327146842010-09-02T14:06:50.744-07:002010-09-02T14:06:50.744-07:00The entire paragraph about a task force around inn...The entire paragraph about a task force around innovation schools raises numerous questions/comments:<br /><br />Now we have yet another school "type" (innovation) without definition...the district's policies over Option and Alt schools are already a shambles. <br /><br />Earned autonomy has been promised for 3 years now, but our schools have nothing. No guidelines. No hope for "opting out" of policies and curriculum that do not fit local school needs/successes. Now a taskforce is going to "study" it? Does this mean 3 more years of inaction? That would result in the complete teardown of popular, good programs (Salmon Bay, Orca, TOPS, etc...)<br /><br />Alternative schools have an active coalition that has been working with the CAO around preserving the successful programs MGJ's policies have torn apart. The contract language in no way mentions or aligns with ongoing alt school coalition/central admin discussions. PARENTS NEED TO BE THE THIRD PARTY AT THE TABLE HERE.<br /><br />Some people are already reading this as an opening for getting charter schools into town via yet another public vote/state legislation. If this is NOT the intent, then why is this not better-explained in the contract?Central Momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05411595538958030193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-8009578816976070922010-09-02T12:46:49.322-07:002010-09-02T12:46:49.322-07:00"Add an additional weekly hour weekly of paid...<i>"Add an additional weekly hour weekly of paid collaborative time for all elementary and K-8 educators, with no changes to the length of the students’ school day. " Okay but are there no changes to the school day just this calendar year (as was previously stated) or just for the 3-year length of this contract?</i><br /><b><br />Does this mean that the Teachers will be paid extra for working an additional hour outside of the contracted day?<br /><br />Or does it mean that within the regular paid day .. things will be rearranged to provide this hour?<br /></b><br />I would not be in favor of a District led collaborative hour given the UW SPS track record on math development for teachers (RBHS etc.).<br /><br />Check <a href="http://reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us/waslTrend.aspx?groupLevel=District&schoolId=1106&reportLevel=School&orgLinkId=1106&yrs=2009-10&gradeLevelId=10&waslCategory=1&year=2009-10&chartType=1" rel="nofollow">Rainier Beach's results for Math</a> with an additional planning period and UW guidance this last year.<br /><br />So now we know Southeast Initiative did not work. The coaching model with lots of Professional Development does not work...... So lets <a href="http://www.susanohanian.org/show_commentary.php?id=810" rel="nofollow">beat up the teachers.</a><br /><br />SPS math leadership is a pointless fiasco - like most stuff from TEAM MGJ.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.theseattlejournal.com/2010/08/18/reading-writing-arithmetic/#comment-6" rel="nofollow">SEE this</a> on the superintendent's organizational chart and strategies.dan dempseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15536720661510933983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-6430803356797227062010-09-02T12:16:19.273-07:002010-09-02T12:16:19.273-07:00Does anyone know the current class size limits for...Does anyone know the current class size limits for elementary grades? Or where I can find that information? Thanks.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17444660757190318548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-16605276194875161092010-09-02T11:56:16.464-07:002010-09-02T11:56:16.464-07:00.....Seattle has made significant strides in class........<i>Seattle has made significant strides in class size reductions over the past 20 years.</i> .....<br /><br />Well they sure have not in the last three years.dan dempseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15536720661510933983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-37039084959497953162010-09-02T10:48:26.122-07:002010-09-02T10:48:26.122-07:00Super Seniority is a special status granted to sta...Super Seniority is a special status granted to staff who worked in closed programs. They get to go to the head of the line for hiring.<br /><br />The defunded state LID day was a paid day of professional development. There used to be three a year paid for by the state, but the state cut them to two. Since it was included in the contract as a paid working day for the teachers, last year the District had to paid for it. They covered the cost as a TRI day - a District-funded professional development day. They won't do that going forward.<br /><br />I think it is VERY interesting that Michael DeBell says that it would be unwise to pay for recurring costs out of the supplemental levy, when the District is looking to use that money to fund a raise for teachers.<br /><br />I think "Level 1 School" is a reference to the District's pending performance management system. This seems to say that schools performing well get to choose their own staff.<br /><br />Where are the academic interventionists for students before they get to high school? A stitch in time saves nine.Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-47287019122810202652010-09-02T10:32:12.755-07:002010-09-02T10:32:12.755-07:00What's "super-seniority"?What's "super-seniority"?Birdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16540428343439198125noreply@blogger.com